1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for displaying photographic prints, and more particularly to a desk-top picture gallery for selectively displaying any print in a deck of photo prints, all of the same size.
2. Status of Prior Art
A photographer's studio is sometimes referred to as a gallery, for hanging from the walls of the studio are various photographs, as in an art gallery. Within the confines of a typical home or office, it is not feasible to hang on the walls, say, an entire set of thirty-six prints obtained by exposing the 36 frames of a standard roll of film. These prints are quite small; for example, 4 by 6 inches in size, and if put on a wall, they would be difficult to see except at very close range.
It is for this reason that when a photographic print or picture that is a positive copy made from a negative, is to be displayed in an office or at home, the usual practice is to mount the print in a frame supported by a stationary or collapsible leg that may be placed on a desk or table top so that the print may readily be viewed at close range. Thus it is not uncommon for an executive to have on his desk a framed photo of his family. For this purpose, the picture frame is self-supporting. Use is not made of a separate easel adapted to hold an article at an inclined position at a proper viewing level.
There are occasions, however, where an individual has taken photographs, say, while on vacation, at a child's birthday party, or on a business trip in a foreign country, and winds up with a multitude of prints, many of which are exceptionally interesting. For instance, if the person taking the pictures is a professional architect who has photographed major historic edifices in the city of Rome and finds that about thirty of those photographs are remarkably fine and worthy of display in his office, he cannot as a practical matter mount each of these pictures in a separate frame supported by a collapsible leg, for there is no room in his office for so large a number of individual picture frames. And while he could mount these pictures in a photo album, none of these can be seen unless the album is consulted.
Another problem that arises when mounting a print in a conventional, leg-supported frame is that the pictures may have been taken vertically in order, for example, to encompass a tall structure, or the picture may have been taken horizontally to encompass a group of individuals or a panoramic view. It is necessary, therefore, to make use of two different types of leg-supported frames; one for a horizontally-oriented picture, the other for a vertically-oriented picture.
In order to selectively display any print in a deck of prints, it is known to provide a container for this purpose. Thus the Ackeret U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,456 discloses a container for accommodating a stack or deck of prints all of the same size, the container having a display window which exposes the first print in the deck. But no easel or other means is provided for this container so as to erect the print on display. However, the Ackeret U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,015 shows a similar display container in combination with a stand so that the container can then be stood up. This collapsible stand is common to many frames, whether or not they hold single or multiple items for display.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Ebner, 3,557,480, shows a photo picture holder that can be suspended from a wall or stood up, the holder having a framed front opening and a compartment to hold a stack of pictures behind this opening which can be interchanged with the picture being displayed.
The Andrews Pat. No. 3,680,239 shows a picture frame attached to a holder for a stack of interchangeable pictures. Hanger tabs are provided so that the frame can be hung vertically or horizontally.
The U.S. Pat. No. to Tontarella et al., 5,068,987 discloses a box for accommodating a stack of photo prints and having a clear plastic lid acting as a window exposing the first picture in the stack. This box is supported on a collapsible leg.